After the war, with a different course and drill, Victoria Barracks achieved 1 minute 27.40 seconds in 1954. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The teams would compete twice a day through the fortnight of the Royal Tournament and the results were signalled instantly to every ship in the fleet. A film clip of this evolution survives from the period [1] (requires Real Player) which was filmed by Alfred J West for his popular 'Our Navy' [2] film presentations in the early 1900s. "We have been on a knife-edge ever since then. The field gun race harks back to the relief of Ladysmith in 1900 by Royal Navy gunners during the Boer War. In a combined display, Seamen from HMS Excellent and HMS Victory took their guns over two walls and two bridges. Injuries were ignored or suppressed. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances (field artillery), as opposed to guns installed in a fort (garrison artillery or coastal artillery), or to siege cannons and mortars which are too large to be moved quickly, and would be used only in a prolonged siege. No wonder he has a bandage wrapped around what remains of his knuckles. This was considered to be an easy jump for an ordinary man. There have been many changes to the competition. The gun wheels are exchanged with the limber wheels. The crews started at one end of the arena and began by negotiating an obstacle of planks fixed at 18-inches above the ground. In 1971 Brickwood's business was acquired by London-based brewers Whitbread & Co Ltd: The important things is this: the Field Gun is back. Seaman from HMS Victory (RN Barracks, Portsmouth) introduced a further obstacle in the form of a bridge, too narrow for the guns to be hauled over in the usual manner.The following year, the Tournament was relocated to Olympia in West London. Although the chasm was reduced to 28ft the competition remained fundamentally the same throughout the interwar years. In 1905, in the centenary year of the Battle of Trafalgar the event was renamed the Royal Naval & Military Tournament. The spirit of the Royal Tournament has not died either. It was Scott, then a Lieutenant, who had helped Captain Fisher (later Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord) establish a Gunnery School on Whale Island at Portsmouth in the 1880s. Information on the period 1908 to 1922 is scanty,[3] but it seems that apart from the periods of war the Brickwood Trophy was competed for each year. The need for a long-range weapon is filled by rockets, missiles, and aircraft. This is a competition rooted in that most politically incorrect of imperial conflicts, the Boer War. The average time for the Run Home was 21 seconds. 'If you won, you got a parade through the streets, a civic reception and all that. This evening's two-hour training session here in Portsmouth's historic dockyard - the third of the day - is a surprisingly jolly affair. Seaman from HMS Victory (RN Barracks, Portsmouth) introduced a further obstacle in the form of a bridge, too narrow for the guns to be hauled over in the usual manner.The following year, the Tournament was relocated to Olympia in West London. Fortunately for the General, Captain P. Scott RN of HMS Terrible was a gunnery expert and he quickly designed a carriage that could hold 6 inch, and 4.7 inch, 12 pounder naval guns for transit and in action. The Guns are then taken round the arena at the double and advance in close order, reversing twice whilst in close order, they then wheel into the centre and Salute.. And how on earth did anyone come up with the idea in the first place? It turns out that a solid, steel handle on the gun mounting has broken. Video 3 below shows a run between Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm from . The larger arena allowed the display to be scaled up. This was exceeded in seven subsequent years and eventually in 1938 HMS Excellent achieved 1 min 13.4 secs. When Devonport went into the arena to collect their trophies there was not a dry eye in the arena. Over in Portsmouth, the team is considerably older - many are in their 40s - but it includes many veterans of the Royal Tournament and six physical training instructors. the ships company for their part in the saving of Ladysmith. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In 1912 the organisers removed the chasm from the competition in favour of a single ramp which was negotiated on both the outward and homeward legs of the course. However, instead of checking on the collapsing sheer legs and passing on the outside of them he went through the middle. The guns were reassembled before taking them over a four-foot wall. but it's up to you to prove yourself and give your all,' she says. 1908 - the Inter-Port Competition was livened up by the substituting the plank obstacle with a Chasm. But there is no prize money. One of the most produced field guns during the war was the Soviet 76 mm ZiS-3 with over 103,000 produced. The gun is fired three times as quickly as possible. The M107 was used extensively in the Vietnam War and proved effective in artillery duels with the North Vietnamese forces. To excel at this sport, you require the explosive speed of a sprinter, the strength of a weightlifter, the precision of a ballerina and the pain threshold of a mother of 12. The Naval involvement in the Victorian campaigns usually involved the landing of the Blue Jackets of the Naval Brigade with their portable field guns alongside their comrades in the Army. Fleet Air Arm won the trophy this year and they hold the record of 2 penalty points. Tonight's final performance, which will be attended by the Princess Royal, will feature familiar events including performances by RAF dogs, massed pipes and drums, a tug of war and the very last running of the field gun competition. HMS Collingwood beat this by running a time of 1 minute 18.80 seconds in 2001. The Royal Navy Field Gun competition was contested by teams from the Royal Naval commands of Portsmouth, Devonport and the Fleet Air Arm (although teams from Chatham and the Royal Marines have also competed). The chasm returned in 1913 and was extended to a distance of 30ft. Perhaps, if they can drag themselves away from their taxpayer-funded plasma screens and patio heaters and get down to Windsor, our lords and masters might learn a valuable lesson in teamwork, public service - and downright courage. The second part of the competition (the "Run Back") involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5ft enemy wall and then back across the chasm. Modern gun-artillery such as the L118 105 mm light gun or the M119 105 mm howitzer are used to provide fire support for infantry and armour at ranges where mortars are impractical. The track is 85 yards long, which means a total run of 170 yards. Article. Sultan's crew includes many new boys, but they have youth on their side. The second part of the competition (the Run Back) involved the crews taking all their equipment back over the 5-foot (1.5m) enemy wall and then back across the chasm. The Brickwoods Trophy Competition sponsored by Whitbread was instituted shortly after its Big Brother, the Inter-Command Competition was first performed at Olympia in 1907. Since the 1980s and 1990s, the field gun has been rarely used in combat. The average time for the "Run Back" was 60seconds. The legendary story tells of the siege of the British garrison in Ladysmith in 1899. When I find the whole contraption and its 18-strong team charging along faster than I can run, I have two options: dive out the way or get squashed. The Inter-Command Challenge Cup is awarded to the crew gaining the highest number of points over the fortnight, and this record is held by Fleet Air Arm for gaining the maximum 32 points in 1966 and the trophy is now held by Devonport for gaining 29 points. By moving the guns from point-to-point during a battle, enemy formations could be broken up to be handled by the infantry or cavalry wherever they were massing, dramatically increasing the overall effectiveness of the attack. (reason why at the moment remains unclear! Spot the difference for the Wheel Numbers, though! The guns were transported inland by rail and then drawn on makeshift carriages by oxen. By Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail Updated: 17:28 EDT, 8 May 2009. But he has no regrets about all the years he has devoted to an event which has its own motto: 'To The Limit And Beyond'. The competition evolved during the early years of the 20th century. ), - 1948 - 1957 - 1970 - 1975 - 1981 - 1984 - 1986 - 1987 - 1997 -. From the start line in front of the Royal Box, the crews pulled the guns and limbers to the end of the arena where they turned and carried themselves and the equipment over a 5-foot (1.5m) wall. Only two crews run during each performance. It ended in controversy as all three crews wore black armbands during the run, even after they were told by the MOD not to, but whatever anybody did it would not change the future. The "Brickwoods" trophy itself is a reproduction in silver of a 12-pounder field gun and a gun crew of seven sailors. The gun is brought to the back of the limber and connected, then both are run forward. The most common field guns of the era were the British 5.5inch, the American 155 mm Long Tom[1] (a development of a French World War I weapon) and the Soviet BS-3 - an artillery piece adapted from a naval gun and designed to double up as an anti-tank weapon. 'It is, simply, the greatest team-building discipline there is. It's just another reason why the Field Gun is still revered as the ultimate. The larger arena allowed the display to be scaled up. In addition two five-foot walls were rigged at the ends of the arena. This brings a completely new meaning to the phrase Race Gun. The crews started at one end of the arena and began by negotiating an obstacle of planks fixed at 18-inches above the ground. Until his dying day in 2007, he was always looking for new heroes to add to his pantheon of greatness. Gridiron March and Half-Batteries brought into action. When the commentator announced it was to be the last time we would ever see the Men of Field Gun, the whole arena showed their anger by stamping the floor or banging their chairs. Across the Forces as a whole, the result is immaterial. This was considered to be an easy jump for an ordinary man. There are 34 possible penalties. This comprised of cutlass drill and gun drill by forty ratings from HMS Excellent. The guns are then taken round the arena at the double and advance in close order, reversing twice in close order, they then wheel into the centre and salute.. This is the heaviest lift of all and life gets very difficult if the gear is dropped 2nd Retire, 2nd Action Gun and limber are run towards the start line, separated and stopped. With the displays of field gun drill now a firm favourite with the audiences at the Tournament, the first competition was staged in May 1907. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity Field Gun Competition is held annually at HMS Collingwood where 21 crews from units across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force .
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